Father Jim’s speech, 'Why My Father Didn't Pray', reflects on prayer as a relationship with God rather than simply a way of informing God about our needs. He compares God’s desire for us to express our desires and fears directly to the relationship between parents and children, where parents cherish when children openly share their hearts. Father Jim explains that just as a parent prefers their child’s honest communication, God wants us to trust Him enough to voice our hopes, regrets, and dreams. Using the story of Jesus healing the blind man, he emphasizes that God, like Jesus, invites us to name our deepest desires and speak them openly in prayer. Through this process, we exercise and refine our desires, as St. Augustine says, by bringing our true needs to light and aligning them with God’s will. Father Jim contrasts the blind man's prayer for healing, which Jesus grants, with the disciples’ desire for status, which Jesus lovingly redirects, helping them grow. In this way, honest prayer can help us understand our true needs and allow God to purify our desires, drawing us closer in relationship with Him.
Journal and reflect on the following questions
Why does Father Jim think it’s important to talk to God about what’s on our hearts, even though God already knows everything?
How does Father Jim compare talking to God to the way children talk to their parents? Can you think of a time you shared something important with your parents?
In the story of the blind man, Jesus asks, 'What do you want me to do for you?' Why do you think Jesus wants people to ask for what they need?
Father Jim says that prayer helps us figure out what we truly want. What’s something you think you’d like to talk to God about in prayer?
How do you think asking God for help and talking honestly with Him can change the way you feel or understand things in your life?
Discuss
Song - What a Friend
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Final Prayer
Dear Lord, we come before You with open hearts, desiring to know You more deeply and to trust You with all that we are. Help us to bring our hopes, fears, and dreams to You, knowing that You lovingly hear each one. Teach us to seek Your will in our lives, refining our desires so that they align with Your greater plan. Give us the courage to be honest in prayer, to come as we are, and to know that You are with us in every joy and every struggle. May our lives be a reflection of our relationship with You, growing in love, faith, and trust each day. Amen.
